WORCESTER - St. Stephen School in Worcester will close at the end of this school year.

The Pre-K through 8 school was facing an enrollment of 112 students for the upcoming school year, a decrease of 39 students from the current school year.

St. Stephen's pastor Msgr. Robert Johnson said, "Despite our best efforts, this has been a perfect storm of challenges including the coronavirus, unemployment and so much uncertainty in the lives of many of our school families. The enrollment numbers were simply not high enough to be able to continue providing an excellent education to the students while being fiscally responsible as an inner-city parish.”

 Msgr. Johnson said the school was concerned parents could also change their minds in the fall if their financial situations took a turn for the worse.

“While it is never welcome news to have to announce that a Catholic school must close, I want to thank the families, faculty, staff and administration who tried to make it work,” said Bishop Robert J. McManus. “In the end, there were no options.”
  
The school sent notices to everyone on Friday, June 5, informing them of the decision and will now work with the Catholic Schools Office enrolling their students in other schools. 
 
Tuition for St. Stephen is up to $5,400 per year and 20% of the students were receiving financial aid. The school was founded in 1924. Its high school was closed in 1971 after a brief period of being part of the Central Catholic school system.